Sunday, February 01, 2015

Abbott - Determined to remain – Lame-Duck Captain of his chosen Team

Tony Abbott says he remains determined to continue as Prime Minister, in spite of reports the Queensland election result has doomed his leadership.

Queensland MPs Jane Prentice and Warren Entsch have both said there now need to be "discussions" about the issue, but Tony Abbott says he will not resign.

"The people of Australia elected me as Prime Minister and they elected my government to get on with the job of governing our country," he told reporters in Sydney today.

Mr Abbott attributed the LNP's Queensland defeat to state issues, but did acknowledge that his decision to knight Prince Philip had been a "distraction".

Earlier Federal Attorney-General and Queensland senator George Brandis has moved to quash speculation of a challenge to Mr Abbott's leadership.

"The Cabinet is determinedly unitedly and strongly behind the Prime Minister," Senator Brandis said on Sky News this morning.

"There is absolutely no appetite among the vast majority of my colleagues for this issue to arise or even to be visited."

Abbott's approval rating just 27 per cent: poll

A Galaxy poll published today in News Limited newspapers has Labor leading the Liberal-National Coalition 57 points to 43 on a two-party preferred basis.

Mr Abbott's personal approval rating is just 27 per cent.

Queensland Liberal, Warren Entsch, this morning said the leadership needed to be addressed.

"I think there's some more discussions that need to be had," Mr Entsch said.
"I'll certainly be part of those discussions."
Mr Entsch also conceded that the Prime Minister's decision to award a knighthood to Prince Philip had played a part in the LNP's loss in Queensland.
"People certainly suggest knighting the Duke of Edinburgh did not go over well in Queensland and it may have influenced some people's vote," he said.

Senator Brandis described the knighthood issue as a "dangerous distraction" in the final week of campaigning.

"That one issue created a distraction that caused the Newman Government to lose momentum," he said.


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